House trim corner pieces and method of assembly

ABSTRACT

The end portions of building siding panels are covered with a corner trim molding. The corner trim molding is adhesively fastened to one or more brackets which are fastened to a corner of a building or other structure. One or more adhesive members, such as double sided tape, are pre-applied to the bracket. A removable cover is provided over the adhesive members and is removed on a job site to adhesively fasten the corner trim molding to the bracket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates in general to siding applied to the exterior of buildings and in particular to a system for covering the exposed corners of a building frame and for overlapping the adjoining ends of a series of siding panels.

[0003] 2. Description of Prior Developments

[0004] Aluminum and plastic siding is applied to the exterior surfaces of buildings to protect the underlying frame and walls from the environment. Individual siding panels are applied in an overlapping series from ground to roof, typically leaving about an inch or two of exposed surface at each side of each corner of the building.

[0005] The exposed corners are covered with trim strips which overlap the ends of the panels on the adjoining sides of each corner. An example of such a trim strip is shown in FIG. 5 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,343. Although this trim strip provides adequate protection to the underlying corner post and adjoining panels, its assembly is somewhat involved and requires the use of numerous components.

[0006] Accordingly, what is needed is a corner trim assembly of the type described which has relatively few components and which is simple to assemble.

[0007] A further need exists for such a corner trim assembly which requires a minimal number of fasteners and which may be assembled quickly and easily without the need for highly skilled assemblers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention has been developed to fulfill the needs noted above and therefore has as an object the provision of a corner trim assembly for siding panels which is simple to assemble, has a minimal number of components, and can be quickly and easily assembled without the need for highly skilled assemblers.

[0009] These and other objects are met by the present invention which is directed to a corner trim assembly for covering the corners of buildings and the adjoining ends of adjoining siding panels. The corner trim assembly includes at least one anchor bracket which is fastened to the corner of a building. The anchor bracket includes one or more adhesive portions with removable cover strips.

[0010] At least one exterior corner panel or corner molding is applied over the anchor bracket or brackets. As the corner panel is held in place, the cover strips, which extend outwardly from beneath the sides of the corner panel, are pulled away. This exposes the underlying adhesive to the interior surface of the corner panel and holds the corner panel in place.

[0011] This system and assembly method is extremely easy to use and can be carried out quickly with a minimal number of parts in a short period of time by relatively unskilled assemblers.

[0012] The aforementioned objects, features and advantages of the invention will in part, be pointed out with particularity, and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form an integral part thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] In the drawings:

[0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an anchor bracket constructed in accordance with the invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the anchor bracket of FIG. 1, fastened to the corner post of a building and overlying the adjoining siding panels;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a corner molding mounted over the anchor bracket of FIG. 2;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a view in section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 with the cover strip removed for clarity;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the corner molding of FIG. 3 assembled to an adjacent lower corner molding and showing in dashed lines the manner of assembly of adjacent corner moldings;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a view in section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

[0020]FIG. 7 is a view in section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

[0021]FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of the lower corner molding of FIG. 5; and

[0022]FIG. 9 is a rear view of a pair of interengaged corner moldings showing the upper and lower corner moldings in position just prior to being fully seated in the position shown in FIG. 5.

[0023] In the various views of the drawings, like reference characters designate like or similar parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] The present invention will now be described in conjunction with the drawings, beginning with FIG. 1 which shows an anchor or mounting corner bracket 10 constructed in accordance with the invention. Bracket 10 has a generally V-shaped cross section defined by a pair of planar side walls 12. The sidewalls 12 are connected by a flat, central, longitudinally-extending elbow wall 14.

[0025] Bracket 10 may be formed of aluminum or of a plastic such as extruded PVC plastic. One or more mounting holes 16 are preferably formed in the flat elbow portion 14 for receiving fasteners, such as nails and screws, as described below. Alternatively, or supplementally, mounting holes 16 can be formed in the side walls 12, as shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1.

[0026] While the side walls 12 typically define an included angle of about 90°, virtually any angle can be formed between them to meet a particular application. Although bracket 10 can be formed with any desired length, its length is preferably set equal to about the length of three overlapped siding panels as they are mounted in place on the side of a building. Preferably, bracket 10 is formed with a sufficient thickness, i.e. about {fraction (1/16)} inch, to provide substantial strength and rigidity to the bracket.

[0027] An important feature of the invention is the provision of an adhesive portion 18 on one or each side wall 12. As seen in the example of FIG. 1, a rectangular pad forms each adhesive portion 18. The pad can be a layer of tacky glue or cement or preferably a pad of doubled sided adhesive sponge tape, i.e., with adhesive applied to both sides of the tape. The adhesive portion 18 is preferably prefabricated and pre-assembled at a manufacturing facility prior to sale and use of the bracket 10.

[0028] A protective covering 20 is removably adhered to the outer face of the adhesive portion 18. Covering 20 can be a thin layer of smooth-surfaced plastic sheet material. The inner face of adhesive portion 18 is securely bonded or otherwise adhered to the outer face 22 of each side wall 12.

[0029] Two different exemplary configurations of covering 20 are shown in FIG. 1. Covering 20 on the left side wall 12 has a peel strip portion 24 which is folded back 180° over itself to form a double layer of covering over adhesive portion 18. Peel strip portion 24 of covering 20 extends transversely outwardly from side wall 12 at an angle of, for example, about 90°.

[0030] In this manner, a longitudinally-extending fold 26 is formed in the covering 20. Fold 26 extends substantially parallel to the elbow portion 14 and to the longitudinal axis 27 of bracket 10. Preferably, the integral peel strip portion 24 of covering 20 extends several inches beyond the edge 28 of side wall 12.

[0031] A second configuration of covering 20 is shown on the right side wall 12 in FIG. 1. In this case, the peel strip portion 24 is folded over itself along a fold 30 which extends at an acute angle to the longitudinally-extending elbow portion 14. In the example of FIG. 1, fold 30 forms an angle of about 45° with the elbow portion 14, as well as with the longitudinal axis 27 of bracket 10. Only a single layer of covering 20 covers the adhesive portion 18 in this configuration.

[0032] When the peel strip 28 on the left side wall 12 is pulled outwardly from bracket 10, the covering 20 is peeled away from the adhesive portion 18 along a movement path which is substantially perpendicular to axis 27 of bracket 10. When the peel strip 24 on the right side wall 12 is pulled outwardly from the bracket 10, the covering 20 is peeled away from the adhesive portion 18 along a movement path which is substantially parallel to axis 27 of bracket 10. That is, the peel strip 24 on the left side wall 12 is pulled from right to left, and the peel strip 24 on the right side wall is pulled from top to bottom.

[0033] As seen in FIG. 2, a bracket 10 is fastened to a building structure such as a building corner post 32. One or more fasteners 34 are inserted through the holes 16 (FIG. 1) in elbow portion 14 to securely hold the bracket 10 to the corner post. In the example of FIG. 2, screws or nails can be used to hold bracket 10 to the wooden post 32.

[0034] Siding panels 36 on adjacent sides of post 32 are mounted to the adjoining walls of a building or other structure in a well-known overlapping configuration. The confronting or adjoining end portions 38 of the siding panels 36 terminate, for example, one or more inches short of the corner edge 40 of the corner post 32. Bracket 10 is tightly secured and extends transversely over, for example, one of more inches of the end portions 38 of each panel 36, and spans vertically over, for example, three consecutive panels.

[0035] Although only one bracket 10 may be required, it is preferred to use several brackets, each spaced apart by several feet along corner post 32. Once the brackets 10 are secured along corner post 32, a longitudinally-extending corner trim molding 42, as seen in FIG. 3, is attached to the brackets 10.

[0036] As further seen in FIGS. 3-9, the corner trim molding 42 has a V-shaped cross section which compliments and receives the V-shaped brackets 10. Corner moldings 42 can have a length of several feet, and preferably four to six feet in length or even more. The corner moldings 42 are interconnected or abutted end-to-end from the ground up, as discussed further below.

[0037] Each corner molding 42 has a pair of planar side walls 44. Each side wall 44 terminates in an inturned flange 46 which doubles back toward the elbow portion 14 so as to define a longitudinally-extending slot 48. As seen in FIG. 4, the bracket 10 is nested within a V-shaped pocket 50 formed by the interior wall 52 of corner molding 42 and the free inturned ends 54 of the opposed inturned flanges 46.

[0038] As further seen in FIG. 3, the corner molding 42 terminates in a flat or horizontal end face 56. This flat end face 56 is particularly appropriate for placement at the topmost end of the siding panels 36. However, as seen in FIGS. 5, 8 and 9, one or more lower corner moldings 42 may be formed with pointed or triangular upper end faces 58 for facilitating the insertion of end face 58 into the slots 48.

[0039] That is, as seen in FIG. 9, the upper corner molding 42 is interengaged with the lower corner molding 42 with a simple downward sliding push-fit, as indicated by the directional arrows. The lower edge 60 of the flange 46 on the upper corner molding 42 slides over the beveled side edges 62 of the lower corner molding 42 as the flanges 46 on the upper corner molding slide into the slots 48 in the lower corner molding.

[0040] The beveled edges 62 tend to center and align the upper corner molding on top of the lower corner molding when they are fully interengaged, as shown in FIG. 5. As seen in FIG. 7, when the adjoining corner moldings are fully interengaged, the flange 46 on the upper corner molding is almost completely nested or telescoped within the slot 48 of the lower corner molding.

[0041] The attachment of the corner moldings 42 to the anchor brackets 10 is extremely quick and simple. A corner molding 42 is aligned over one or more anchor brackets 10 with each anchor bracket nested within the pocket 50 along the interior wall 52 of the corner molding. In this manner, the anchor brackets 10 properly align and center the corner molding along corner post 32 such that each side wall 44 substantially equally overlaps the adjoining siding panels 36 by one or more inches, for example.

[0042] With the corner molding 42 so aligned, an assembler holds the corner molding in position, preferably by pushing against one side wall 44. At this time, the assembler simply grasps the end of the peel strip 24 protruding outwardly from the opposite “unheld” side wall 44 and pulls outwardly as shown by the directional arrows in FIG. 3.

[0043] Once the first covering 20 is removed, the corner molding becomes instantly bonded, glued or otherwise adhesively retained in position. A supplemental force can be applied to the corner molding with a simple inward push to ensure that the cover molding 42 is fully seated on the now exposed adhesive portion 18.

[0044] With one side wall 44 secured to the bracket or brackets 10, an assembler then releases pressure from the opposite side wall 44 and grasps the remaining peel strip(s) 24 protruding from underneath that side wall and pulls the covering 20 from between the remaining adhesive portions 18 and the interior wall 52 of the corner molding 42. The assembler may apply pressure to the first bonded side wall 44 as the covering 20 is removed from beneath the second, later-bonded or adhered side wall.

[0045] Again, a supplemental push may be applied to the second bonded side wall to ensure full adhesive contact with the adhesive portion 18. It can be appreciated that this series of steps is repeated on subsequent sections of corner moldings 42.

[0046] There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated. However, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A corner bracket for mounting a corner molding to the corner of a building, comprising: a pair of side walls; an elbow portion interconnecting said pair of side walls; an adhesive portion applied to at least one of said side walls; and a removable covering covering said adhesive portion.
 2. The bracket of claim 1, wherein said covering comprises a peel strip extending outwardly from said bracket.
 3. The bracket of claim 1, wherein said elbow portion comprises a flat longitudinally-extending wall having at least one hole formed therein.
 4. The bracket of claim 1, wherein said pair of side walls define a V-shaped cross section.
 5. The bracket of claim 1, wherein said adhesive portion comprises double sided tape.
 6. A system for mounting a corner trim molding to a corner of a structure having adjacent structural walls covered with siding panels, and wherein said system comprises: a mounting bracket secured to said corner of said structure, said mounting bracket comprising a pair of side walls; an adhesive portion provided on at least one of said side walls; and said corner trim molding overlying said mounting bracket and said siding panels on said adjacent structural walls.
 7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a removable cover covering said adhesive portion.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein said removable cover comprises a peel strip extending outwardly from said corner trim molding.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein said corner trim molding is adhesively secured to said mounting bracket by said adhesive portion.
 10. The system of claim 6, wherein said corner trim molding comprises a pair of side walls respectively overlying said pair of side walls on said mounting bracket.
 11. The system of claim 6, wherein said corner trim molding comprises a pair of side walls and a pair of inturned flanges respectively provided on opposite end portions of said side walls on said corner trim molding.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said pair of inturned flanges and said pair of side walls on said corner trim panel define a V-shaped pocket and wherein said mounting bracket is nested within said V-shaped pocket.
 13. The system of claim 6, further comprising an elbow portion interconnecting said pair of side walls on said mounting bracket, and a fastener extending through said elbow portion and into said corner of said structure.
 14. The system of claim 6, wherein said corner trim molding has a triangular top portion.
 15. A method of mounting a corner trim molding to a corner of a structure having structural walls covered with siding panels, and wherein said method comprises: mounting a bracket to said corner of said structure; providing an adhesive on said mounting bracket; providing a removable cover on said adhesive; placing said corner trim molding over said mounting bracket; removing said removable cover; and engaging said corner trim molding with said adhesive.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said adhesive comprises double sided tape and wherein said engaging further comprises pushing said corner trim molding against said double sided tape.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein said removable cover comprises a peel strip extending outwardly from said corner trim molding and wherein said removing comprises pulling on said peel strip.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein said cover trim molding comprises a V-shaped pocket and wherein said placing comprises aligning said bracket within said pocket.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein said mounting comprises fastening said bracket to said corner with a fastener.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein said adhesive comprises first and second spaced apart adhesive portions on said mounting bracket, said first and second adhesive portions each having a removable cover, and wherein said removing comprises removing said cover from said first adhesive portion and then removing said cover from said second adhesive portion. 